India, Pakistan summon each other’s diplomats after naval ships collide in Arabian Sea

India and Pakistan promptly summoned each other's top diplomats to lodge strong protests following a naval vessel collision in the international waters of the Arabian Sea. India's foreign ministry accused its neighbor of "unacceptable and unprofessional conduct" while Pakistan's foreign ministry responded in kind, citing the "highly provocative and unacceptable action" of an Indian navy vessel.

This marks the first significant military tension between the nuclear-armed neighbors since a four-day conflict last year that nearly escalated into a wider war. Both nations blamed each other for the incident, which occurred when a Pakistani naval ship moved closer to an Indian warship during a routine surveillance mission. The Indian foreign ministry reiterated that the incident violated a 1991 agreement between the two countries, which stipulates that naval ships should maintain a minimum distance of three nautical miles in international waters.

The Pakistani foreign ministry countered that it was the Indian vessel that engaged in "aggressive manoeuvres in dangerously close proximity" to a Pakistani naval ship involved in biennial exercises. Despite the diplomatic expeditions of both nations being headed by a charge d'affaires due to the downgrading of diplomatic relations since 2019 over the Kashmir dispute, both sides have vowed to convey their disapproval to the concerned authorities.